Tom (assumed name) was 14 when he showed up at our Resource Center about seven months ago. When I asked him about his home life, he shared that no one missed him when he was gone. While at our Center, he was quiet, respectful and appreciative of our service.
A couple of weeks ago he showed up after being gone awhile. He didn’t look good at all and shared he hadn’t eaten in a week, so I got him a plate of food. As we talked, he shared that he recently was in jail and when he went to court, he saw his parents for the first time in a year. He was released into their custody, and after telling his Dad he loved him, his parents got into the car without saying a word and left him there. So, I tried to encourage him and let him know we care for him and he is always welcome here. This was the last time I saw Tom. Tom took his life this past weekend.
A famous quote of Mother Teresa’s is “The hunger for love is much more difficult to remove than the hunger for bread.” Here at Hosea, we are working hard to fulfill our guests hunger for love. While we provide many physical services, most importantly we want each of our guests to feel accepted, wanted and loved.
Please pray for several of our young guests and our staff who are struggling with Tom’s passing. Thank you.
By Joe Clig, Resource Center Director